Arkansas Hunt

[TWP]

Hey guys,

Was curious if anyone has hunted public land in AR for deer/bears? I'm going to go the first or second week of October for a long weekend, and probably again in the winter. Anyone interested in going? Cheap tags and lots of beautiful country, not sure on odds of success, but adventure is adventure.

[marshrat]

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[LostHawg]

I hunt friends and family land. Empty so far, but they're small spreads.

[SwampGhost]

I had been studying Felsenthal Refuge. I hear it's a bow hunters paradise. Very short gun season. Muzzle loader only I think. If you have a boat you will be able to access more area. Good Luck

[chino]

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[Low Fence]

Hunted it for about 10 yrs. Thought about it again. I killed about every year (all doe) have drug out a lot of bucks for friends. Dollar for inch of antler....can be beat. It can be tough, expecially if your spoiled to corn hunting.

Early season tip- there mosquitos can stand flat fooded and breed a chicken! Theromcell is a must to survive (I aint kiddin)

Late season-It can get brutaly cold and wet in the same day it was 75 in the morning.

Once you hunt it, you will realize how much Texas public land is a joke.

oh, I have seen bear ever year I've hunted. Never shot one, as I have zero desire to kill one....but opportunity is there if its your thing. Dont see turkey like I did when we first started. Use to see 100's a trip, now its rare to see one.

Lots of land. All good. All tough

[Statton48]

Where shouts u thinking in Arkansas? My grandparents have a place that backs up to the national forest "quachita" right outside of Mena. Have hunted around there a few times and have saw plenty of game. If you would be interested I. Going around that area then maybe I could help out.

[SFAbowhunter]

I'm also thinking about hunting there too! My girlfriends parents are in hot springs village and they told me the past few years they have done deer hunts in their village to control the population, so I may hunt that. But I know I will be in Arkansas at thanksgiving and would love to get a few hunts in and try to give one a dirt nap!

[LostHawg]

I hunt around Wickes. Or, I did growing up there. Hope to again someday.

[Hills of Texas]

I'm going up the first week of October. Cant wait!

[SFAbowhunter]

Has anyone tried Winona WMA? It says it's 160k acres and they do a lot to improve the habitat for the wildlife with burns, food plots, and other stuff to help with the other food sources.

[TWP]

I don't care where we go!!! Adventure is adventure. Anyone with personal experience or family up there would be WAY ahead of me. I LOVE to do tough hunts. I have hunted elk at 12,000 ft and hunted antelope in burning hot weather. It makes no difference to me. If you need to guarantee a kill or are afraid of eating tag soup, you don't need to try DIY public land hunting. I am personally about "the tiny gleaming fires" that Robert Ruarke wrote about. I'm about getting back to the simple life a much as I can and still post on Internet forums. Lol

I am down for a whatever y'all want to tackle. I'm probably going to poor boy it and sleep in a tent, sharpen broadheads by firelight and enjoy Tierra Firma as much as humanly possible.

What kind of dates are we looking at?

[TWP]

Also, I will be coming through DFW on I-20 with a 4 door f-150. I will be able to grab a couple folks if need be.

[SFAbowhunter]

Not sure when I'll be going up there, but I love how the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has those detailed maps. Man that makes it so much easier to see where you need to go and what not.

[J-Mac]

Ive been going up there bear hunting the past couple years. We hunted in the Ouachita outside Gravelly and the Boxley Valley area in the Boston Mountains. Beautiful country and the bears are plentiful.